A method for testing an integrated circuit (IC) Card may include a phase for checking that hardware and software resources of the IC Card may communicate with a read-write device, according to a predetermined communication standard. More particularly, the IC Card may include a System on Chip including a memory portion, microcontroller, and a set of contact pads for an electrical connection with the read-write device.
As schematically represented in FIG. 1, the IC Card 1 may also include a ZigBee device 2a including an antenna 7 for wireless communication with a ZigBee Controller, according to a standard IEEE 802.15.4. The method for testing such IC Card includes testing both the communication with the read-write device through the electrical connection based on contact pads, and the communication with the ZigBee Controller through a ZigBee network initialized by the ZigBee Controller. More particularly, the IC Card 1 may include a first System on Chip including hardware resources for the wireless communication with the ZigBee device, and a second System on Chip including hardware resources for the communication with the read-write device. In another hardware configuration of the IC Card, both the hardware resources for implementing the communication with the read-write device and the wireless communication with the ZigBee Controller may be included in a single System on Chip.
In the following description, not depending on the System on Chip(s) configuration, the term ZigBee device is used to refer to the hardware and software resources supporting the communication with the ZigBee Controller, while the term IC device is used to refer to the hardware and software resources for implementing the communication with the read-write device. More particularly, the method for testing the IC Card should provide that not only the IC device is able to communicate with the read-write device, but also that the ZigBee device is able to communicate with the ZigBee Controller, according to the respective standards. A problem of such a method for testing is that checking the ZigBee device takes much more time than checking the IC device.
For testing the ZigBee device, wireless communication between the Zigbee Controller and the ZigBee device should be established, including a step for initializing a ZigBee network through the ZigBee Controller, a step for connecting the ZigBee device to the ZigBee network, a step for identifying the ZigBee device through the ZigBee Controller, and a step for transmitting one or more wireless messages to test the transmission capability of the ZigBee device. More particularly, it is worth noting that IC Card manufacturers are following the emerging trend of using IC Cards including a Zigbee device for a great number of control applications. Thus, the IC Card test time is more often penalized by the time for checking the ZigBee device. The demand for interoperability, together with the opportunity costs related with time-to-market, drives the need for compliance testing, and making a time-efficient, reliable, and cost-effective test approach desirable.
Another problem of such a method for testing is that the ZigBee Controller typically cannot directly identify and return an identification code of a defective ZigBee device. Since a defective ZigBee device is typically unable to connect and transmit over the ZigBee network, for example, due to a broken antenna 7, the ZigBee Controller typically cannot identify it. In other words, the defective ZigBee device may be detected only indirectly for the fact that a predetermined time has elapsed without receiving a response from it. Such a method for testing returns a fault message indicative of a failure of a connection and/or transmission of the ZigBee device without identifying it. This method is not advantageous, especially when a plurality of ZigBee devices, for example, located on a production line, should be tested.
More particularly, it is generally known to associate a predetermined Personal Area Network (PAN) Identifier to the ZigBee device so that a test device may detect such Identifier and identify the corresponding ZigBee device when such ZigBee device connects to the ZigBee network. It is typically not possible to identify the corresponding ZigBee device when it is unable to connect to the ZigBee Network, since the PAN Identifier is not transmitted.
The technical problem is that of providing a method of testing one or more IC Cards, including a respective ZigBee device, avoiding that the time involving the checking of the Zigbee device heavily penalizes the time for checking the IC device of such IC Cards, and providing that a defective ZigBee device may be identified even if a ZigBee communication with the ZigBee Controller cannot be established, may allow IC Card manufacturers to get their IC Cards tested, validated, and released as quickly as possible.